01x02 : Guilty
by Gabrielle Henson
Summary: [2nd episode in a series]Buffy and Xander made a hard decision and tried to get Giles to help them while Faith goes on doing only as she wants...
1. Teaser

_Disclaimer : Everyone knows who own Buffy and co ! Obviously, it's not me!_

_ The story is the second episode in a series called 'Rocky path' and begins around one year after 'Chosen'_

_You can check it out on my website  
_

_Please let me know what you think._

_And I'm still looking for a beta-reader ! _

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**Teaser**

An almost-religious silence was reining over the library located at the second floor of the council hotel as asked a sign showing "Please do not disturb the quiet of the place".

The room was so large and beautiful that even Buffy had felt respect and admiration when she had come in the room for the first time. Solid wooden working tables were clean and gleamed to the light of the desk lamps that were diffusing a sweet light in the big room. The pad chairs undoubtedly gave an important look to those who came here to work. Hangings and tapestries were decorating the walls. On the shelves were stored probably kilometres and kilometers of books, some of them being copies of originals Giles kept in his office, others books sorely gained after the old Council destruction. Just like in Giles' office, wide windows were opened on the town and bathed the room in a nice light during the day.

But so late in the evening, the sweet lights of the sleeping city hardly reached the last workers sat at their tables and working to the light of their desk lamp. They were a few. A Watcher in training sat near the main entrance and studied a book of demonology before a test she had to pass some days after. Not too far from her, two Slayers were concentrated on the Slayers line history.

In the back of the room, Buffy and Xander were settled at the closest table to the window and were about to disappear from the visitors' sight behind the pile of books they had gathered on their table. Buffy was plunged in a voluminous and probably really old book. She had get access to it thanks to her Giles former Slayer status which had always her welcomed with much respect everywhere she went in the hotel.

Unlike his friend that nothing seemed able to disturb from her reading, Xander had much more trouble to concentrate on the book in front of him. He often cast glances to Buffy, hoping to get her attention. But it was useless. Buffy did not notice. Finally, after what felt an eternity to Xander, he quitted his studious behavior and pushed away his book.

"Buff, do you really think all this is useful?" he whispered.

Saying this, he gestured with his hand, including the piles of books and themselves. Buffy looked up, stared at the numerous books, seemed to think a second and finally pushed away her own book just like Xander before her. The blonde Slayer let escape a long sigh.

"I don't see what to do instead" she eventually answered. "Do you see something else we can do except for researching?"

Xander shrugged with ignorance.

"I know. But the point is, if those books were written in Chinese, I'd get them all the same. It's been days we spend hours here to read and we didn't get any clue. I think we're not going anywhere without the help of someone who know that stuff"

Buffy took her head in her hands with despair, then got up and stretched.

"I know all this. But we can't talk about this to Willow. And right now, Giles is still stubborn. We have to go a little forward to have some clues to give him when he'll be decided."

"What if he never decides to help us?"

"He will. I make him will" Buffy asserted with confidence.

"Buff, I'm very serious" Xander insisted. "What if he doesn't? It's not an easy spell. We're talking about something really big. He might not change his mind. Maybe we're going too far after all…"

"Xander!" Buffy interrupted. "I thought we agreed? I understand your hesitations. But we have to be all sure to do something like this. Giles won't help if he doesn't feel us certain"

"And you're all sure?"

Buffy nodded with energy.

"Yeah. I am. I thought about this before. And I'm decided. I already told you that"

They looked at each others some minutes, Xander having his arms crossed, deeply sunk into his chair, Buffy standing in front of him, leant on the table.

"Okay" Xander finally said. "If you're so sure…Let's start again"

Buffy nodded and took back her original seat. They both resumed their reading but were quickly interrupted by the discreet sound of the library door opening. Buffy jumped out of her seat instinctively and moved forward behind the shelves to see who came in. As soon as her eyes caught the newcomers in sight, she came back hastily toward Xander and closed her book while enjoining the young man to do the same.

"Dawn" she whispered by way of an explanation.

That simple word put the carpenter into motion again and he closed his own book as fast and as silently as he could, before burying it under the books pile in front of him. Then he grabbed another one, which had remained open on the side, away from the others, and put it in front of him. Buffy had done the same just a little quicker, and when Dawn appeared in front of them, both friends tried to act as casual as they possibly could.

"Ah, you're here" Dawn said happily. "I can't believe you didn't come to the cinema with us!"

Buffy smiled seeing the happy look on her sister's face.

"And I can't believe you agreed to go with Will AND Kennedy"

Dawn let herself fall in a chair beside Buffy and shrugged.

"As long as Kennedy doesn't choose the movie…"

Buffy and Xander exchanged an amused smile.

"So Willow chose the movie. Was it good?"

Dawn nodded.

« Will and I agreed about the movie. It was a really good evening. You should have come"

Saying this, Dawn stared at the books on the table and frowned.

"So what're you doing?"

Buffy and Xander shared a new look, slightly embarrassed this time.

"Hum, researching. For Giles."

Dawn frowned harder and she got up to come closer to her sister and look at the book open in front of her.

"Research about Taglarin myths and legends?"

"Hum, yeah, exactly" Buffy confirmed, suddenly really ill-at-ease.

"And since when do you read Taglarin?" Dawn asked, pointing at the book page covered in an unknown language that Buffy was supposed to read.

"Hum, Giles said I have to be impregnated with the language before reading the translated myths. It's important." Buffy added in a resolute tone.

Dawn looked at her with a dumbfounded look during some seconds. Then her gaze traveled from her sister to the book then to her sister again before she finally said:

"These Watchers are weird"

"Hey, studious evening I'd say?" Willow said, appearing in her turn to her friends, followed closely by Kennedy.

Buffy and Xander smiled to her and Buffy pushed even more under the pile the book she was studying just before the small group came in.

"I can't believe Giles asked you to help him without telling me" Willow grumbled.

"Oh, but it's a pleasure for us, Will" Buffy said quickly. "We volunteered. Right, Xander? A way to reconnect"

"A good evening away from demons books is another way to reconnect" said Kennedy, obviously amused. "But we're talking about Giles here"

"Exactly" Buffy hastily confirmed. "We're talking about Giles here. And you know, he's English after all. And English people sometimes do weird things and…"

Buffy stopped when she noticed the way Kennedy was looking at her.

"And you're English of course" she finished. "But you know, I was talking about English men, not women" she offered to the brunette Slayer.

"We're good Buffy, no offense taken"

"So, what is the research about?" Willow asked grabbing Buffy's book.

Willow read some lines and turned a perplexed gaze to the blonde Slayer.

"Breeding and evolution in Taglarin myths?"

Buffy offered an apologic smile and took the book back from the redhead's hands.

"I'm getting acquainted with the Taglarin language" she said. "I had no idea what exactly it was about"

Willow's look didn't change and her gaze traveled slowly on the other books covering the table. Xander chose that moment to come to Buffy's help.

"Well, I think we're done for tonight" He said, getting up and closing loudly his own book. "So, ladies, I'm walking you back to your rooms and you're telling me about the movie?"

Saying this, he had seized Willow and Dawn by one arm and already begun to walk away, gesturing to Kennedy to follow.

"What about Buffy?"

"I'll catch up with you guys" Buffy urged them. "A second to put everything in order and I'm coming"

"We're gonna help you" Kennedy offered.

"No, no, no. Absolutely no. In two minutes, I'm with you. It's my own personal challenge"

The three girls went on looking at her with disbelief while Xander was still leading them outside the library. Buffy looked at them going away and waited to hear the door open and close and their steps fading in the corridor before letting escape a relieved sigh.

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	2. Act 1

**Act 1**

"Try again" Willow ordered firmly, hands on her hips.

Kennedy was laying on her belly at her feet. To Willow's order, she rolled on her back and raised herself on her elbows. The young women was breathing heavily, her hair was disheveled, locks being glued on her face by sweat. She was obviously exhausted. In front of her stood Willow who was looking at her severely.

Casually leant on the wall of the training room, Buffy and Faith watched the scene. Both of them wore a training suit like Kennedy. Their disheveled and damped hair pointed the fact the chosen two had probably just stopped training.

"If I were a vampire, you would probably dead" resumed Willow while getting closer to Kennedy.

"And believe me" said Buffy, after swallowing a mouthful of water from a little bottle of water she held in her hand. "Her vampire self was not really nice"

Kennedy began to get to her feet and gave the hint of a mischievous smile.

"I'd love to meet her"

Willow rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you'd have loved some things about her"

As soon as she was up, Kennedy threw herself forward with her fist raised on Willow. A light of surprise passed in the witch's eyes when it hit her chin. But Kennedy did not even have time to began to think to celebrate her triumph as Willow's reaction was dazzling. The redhead grabbed the guilty arm, pulled on it with full force, hinged on her side and threw the Slayer across the room. Kennedy landed without softness at several meters from there. She got with difficulty to her feet and came back toward Willow who was waiting for her.

"I think it's enough Will" Said Buffy with slight hesitance. "I don't really like to see you using too much magic"

Willow turned around to her friend and a sad smile played on her lips.

"Sorry. But, you don't have to worry. It's a really good control training for me too you know"

Saying this, she had left her place in the middle of the room and had come beside Faith and Buffy. The latter held her her bottle of water and Willow offered a thank-you smile while drinking. When she was done, she gave the bottle to Kennedy who had just arrived. She was welcomed by Faith's trademark giggle.

"Pff…Beaten by Red, really you're weakening Kennedy!"

The young woman wast her a dark glance as she seized the bottle.

"She'd kick your ass faster than I can tell. And, you can talk, you just spar with a retired Slayer!"

"Hey!" the chosen two protested.

"I'm still all on top form" Buffy defended herself.

"She's still on top form" Faith confirmed.

"Spar with me then. And we'll what you're worth"

Kennedy put the bottle on the ground and came in front of Faith, a resolute look on her face, ready to fight.

"Hey, easy brat!" Faith said with an amused smile. "I'll take care of you when you're better. Will emptied you from all your strength. It'd be too easy." She added with a fake sardonic look.

"Always something to duck out" Kennedy grumbled.

But Faith didn't pay attention to her and turned to Willow.

"Well, respect Red. That trick is fucking amazing"

Willow smiled with modesty.

"It's not that hard to do" she answered. "you just have to be all centered on what you're doing"

"Since when do you train this way?" Buffy asked, frowning.

"Some months" Kennedy replied. "It's really effective. A lot more than Watchers' classical methods"

Buffy pooched.

"So, magic control is getting better?" she asked.

Willow shrugged.

"It's getting better" She confirmed. Then "Slowly. There're highs and lows… I'm still not entirely stable"

Buffy was now staring at her with a worried look on her face. Willow noticed and resumed immediately.

"But, no panic, I control perfectly that spell. I don't do anything I'm not sure. I woudn't make people take risks. You know that, right?"

Willow turned an anguished look to her friend, waiting desperatly for her to confirm. Buffy smiled and hugged her tenderly.

"I know Will. But you know, I kind of worry about anything"

They parted and Willow smiled back.

"I know"

Willow seized two towels hanging from the stretching bars running along the wall the four girls were standing by. She held one for Kennedy and mopped her up with the other.

"So, research? Any progress?" She asked.

"Research ? " asked a puzzled Buffy.

"For Giles." Willow clarified.

"You research for Giles?" exclaimed a dismayed Faith. "I hit you easy 'cause you pretend to be retired and you do research for Giles?"

Buffy turned to her and cast her a fixed and annoyed glance, but didn't bother to answer.

"Average progress" she told Willow. "Indeed, I was about to go and see Giles to…evaluate the situation"

"Evaluate the situation about what?" Asked Giles' voice.

Buffy jumped when she heard her former Watcher who had just come in the room with Robin Wood.

"Giles!" Buffy exclaimed. "You're here. I was talking to evaluate the situation about this research, you know, this research we talked about before"

Saying this, Buffy had come closer to her former mentor and had her back to the other girls and had platered on her face a look which meant something like "you-better-say-nothing-or-I'll-kick-your-ass". But Giles obviously missed the message as he arched a questionning eyebrow in the blonde Slayer's direction :

"Something's wrong Buffy?"

Buffy almost let escape an exasperated sigh. She came resolutely toward him, seized him by his arm and pulled him with her toward the exit.

"I precislely came to see you" Giles mumbled.

"Perfect" Buffy said, still going to the door. "We have to talk"

When she reached the doorstep with her prisonner, Buffy stopped, turned back and gestured to the three others girls who were looking at her with a dumbstruck look on their face.

"See you later guys!" She said as she disappeared from their sight.

Kennedy, Faith and Willow exchanged a puzzled look. Kennedy shrugged, turned to her girlfriend and took her hand tenderly.

"Well, I think a good shower is in order" she said mischiously.

Willow smiled but turned to Robin who had remained aside and looked like he was waiting for someone to notice he was there.

"So, Robin, did you want something specific or did Buffy dreadfully kidnapp Giles from you?"

Robin smiled and answered in a slightly embarrassed tone:

"Well, to tell the truth, I came to see Faith…"

"See me?" Faith asked, taken by surprise.

"Ah… So we're gonna leave" Kennedy said, pulling Willow with her toward the exit.

And the two young women dispareared in their turn, letting Faith alone with Wood.

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Faith looked at Willow and Kennedy disapearing and found herself alone with Wood who stood his front of her with his arms crossed. Faith instinctively turned to the stretching bar and took her own towel to weap her forehead. Then, she took the water bottle forgotten by Buffy and slowly drank several mouthfuls. She seemed resolute to pay attention to anything in the room but Robin. The former Sunnydale highschool principal leant againt a wall and looked at her doing so, quite amused despite the silence fallen on the room.

Faith obviously waited to begin the conversation and explain what he had to say. But he seemed deciced not to give her satisfaction and just waited for her to be weary and to blurt out something. And he was right. Patience was not Faith's main quality and Robin didn't have to wait too long before she turned to him and asked in the most casual tone she could :

"So, Robin, what brings you here?"

"Obviously, you" he asked in the same casual tone, without leaving his amused smile.

"Ok" Faith said, smiling back. "I got that part"

She fell silent, thinking that Robin would go on. But he didn't. Then, Faith started again, slightly annoyed this time:

"And ?"

Wood noticed the Slayer's expression and eventually came to the point :

"Well, to make you comfortable" he began "it has nothing to do with your last nightly deeds and our little talk on the other day"

Faith rolled imperceptibly her eyes when she heard Robin mentionning the altercation she had with him and Buffy about how to behave on patrol with the young Slayers. That subject could only be conflicting. But knowing that Robin wanted to talk about something else did not reassure Faith. At least, she always knew how to react when it came to conflicts. And the last months had gave lots of various conflicts with Robin Wood.

"What else?" Faith asked. « If you wanna ask me any kind of advice about how to train the newbies, you're talking to the good person. » she added quickly.

Robin smiled frankly this time and shook his head.

"No" He said. "It's more…personal"

Robin couldn't help but chuckle when he saw an embarrassed look appearing briefly on the Slayer's face.

"Personal?" she repeated in a disbelieving tone she had wanted unconcerned and impassive.

"Yeah, personal" Wood confirmed.

They stared at each other for a while before Wood resumed quietly :

"It's been a while you didn't come back to Cleveland. I think we can take advantage of our presence in the same place to talk a little."

He stopped, examined Faith's face, searching here a reaction. Finding none he could read into, he resumed again :

"I thought we would talk about our…"

He looked like he was searching for the good word and finally said :

"…relationship?"

Faith leant against the wall in her turn and arched an eyebrow while repeating :

"Our relationship?"

"Yeah" Robin said. "You know, you and I share a kind of relationship?" he added while gesturing between them.

Faith mumbled something, which could have as well meant yes or no.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked after a silence.

"I just told you: our relationship"

"I meant: precisely?" Faith clarified.

"I thought we could talk about this with a good meal" Robin suggested. "I know Slayers can get really hungry"

Faith was now looking at him with a look mixed with mistrust and disbelief. After a long time she looked like she was trying to figure what Robin meant, she eventually asked:

"Are you inviting me to a dinner?"

Robin got an amused smile.

"I am" he replied happily. "It's been a long time since the last time I did and if I remember correctly, you never had an opportunity to say yes"

Faith did not answer and still stared at him.

"We have to talk" he said seriously. "8 at the restaurant?" he added quickly.

Faith hesitated. Being invited to a dinner was not her thing. But she did not have time to think about any protest and robin was already going away.

"See you tonight then" He said before exiting the training room, letting Faith alone and slightly bewildered.

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Buffy was slouched in the armchair she had occupied some days before in Giles office as her former Watcher was settled in his own. Just like the other times they had met here in the previous days, he was nervously cleaning his glasses and stubbornly avoiding looking at the Slayer who was staring at him. The sun shining outside was bathing the room in a dim light and warmed the room where the ambiance was at least chilly.

"You still don't change your mind?" Giles asked after a long silence and still avoiding Buffy's glance.

The Slayer raised slightly her head when she heard her former Watcher's voice and tried to catch his glance but did not succeed.

"Giles, how much will I have to tell you?"

Her voice was intended to be as calm as possible but the Slayer couldn't totally hide some exasperation, even some anger. Giles did not answer, got up and turned to the window he leant against to look outside as the street had something fascinating to show. Hinging slightly to her side, Buffy could see Giles' gaze reflecting in his cleanest glasses. And the young woman could read here a strange mix of severity, coldness, anger and more surprisingly, confusion.

"You could tell a thousand times" said Giles, stressing each word. "And it would still be hard to believe"

He fell silent again, and still looking outside he added in a lighter tone:

"And I think you're not too far from a thousand times."

Buffy couldn't help but sketch a smile. She had actually spent the previous days displaying most of her energy to find good reasons to leave Dawn and Willow alone with Xander's help.

And when Buffy disappeared this way, she looked for her surrogate father to try and convince him her intentions were valid. When he remained unobtainable or was busy in one of those council meetings, Buffy climbed to the library and plunged into old dusty books, hoping to find an answer to her problem. But she knew only Giles could really help her to find what she was looking for.

"We have to talk about this seriously" Giles said seriously.

This assertion shared the Slayer between entertainments and annoy.

"You think I'm not serious Giles?" she asked in the same tone.

"It's hard to believe" He admitted coldly.

"But you should believe it" Buffy answered in a assured tone. "It's serious and wisely considered"

"Wisely considered!"

Giles flip-flopped and found himself facing his Slayer, his hands pressed on the desk in front of him, his eyes severe and brightening with hardly hidden anger.

"Wisely considered! How can you talk about resurrection and tell me it's wisely considered?" He asked in a hard tone.

But Buffy didn't seem impressed at all by this fit of anger. Since the first time Buffy had talked about what she had in mind, Giles had mostly counted on mildness and reason to try to make her change her mind and Buffy wasn't surprised that he finally lost his patience.

"It's an impulsive resolution!" Giles resumed, as hectic as previously. "You're deeply moved by Willow. And I understand… And…"

"Giles! Do I really look like to be the one all impulsive right now?"

Saying this, she pointed to her, showing her calm to her former Watcher. Calm which terribly contrasted with Giles' nervous shaking.

"It can only be impulsive" Giles insisted." You're acting on blind impulse…"

"I'm not!" Buffy exclaimed. "I thought about this for a while. Don't tell me I'm acting on blind impulse! "

This time, she stood up and began to pace in the room.

"It's…It's for Willow. I want something big for her. Big like the gift she offered me by freeing me from my Slayer's loneliness. Big like all she did for me by being by my side all those years."

"And how far will you go? You want to wrap a resurrected Tara and put her under the Christmas tree?" Giles asked in the most sarcastic tone Buffy had ever heard him use.

Buffy stood open-mouthed to that comment from her former mentor. Several withering answers crossed her mind but her mouth open and close several times without any sound going out. She breathed in once or twice deeply to calm down then stood in front of Giles with the same resolute look he displayed himself.

"Don't tell things like that. We're talking about Tara. And I have to repeat I'm all serious"

"Resurrection is indeed something serious. You have no idea how much magical power is needed. Finding a spell in a book is far from enough"

"Hum, I think you should close the door before talking about this." Said a new voice. "We're lucky that you're misanthrope and your office is far from the rest of the world."

Buffy turned around to see Xander standing against the door-frame, a smile but a serious look in his face. He came in and closed the door behind him before heading toward the desk and shook Giles' hand when the Watcher finally held to him.

"Xander" he said simply.

"Wh-What?" Buffy asked with a distraught air. "What did you say?" You heard us talk?…"

"Almost from the end of the corridor" Xander confirmed. "But it's okay, I was all alone" he added quickly in front of the horrified look on Buffy's and Giles' faces.

They both exchanged a brief relieved glance. Then Giles' gaze came to Xander and he foresaw another way to get onto the subject.

"Xander…" He began.

But Buffy had followed his train of thoughts and interrupted him short.

"Don't waste your time to try to convince Xander I'm wrong. We talked together and we agree"

Giles had an annoyed look and for the time being only found one thing to do : he took his glasses off and began to clean them again.

"I can't believe you're following Buffy in this, Xander" Giles eventually said.

"Well, I think you mostly have a hard time to believe that Buffy choose to do this" Xander replied.

Giles threw up his arms.

"I have a hard time to believe that BOTH of you actually think this is the thing to do. Have you thought about the consequences?"

"Giles!" Buffy snapped, finally loosing her temper. "I answered that question at least a dozen times! And the answer is still we did! We did give it a lot of thinking, we did think about the consequences, about what it means. We are aware of what we're doing. How can you just ask this to ME?"

Giles sighed and let himself fall in his armchair. There was a silence during when he tried to decide how saying what he was about to say as diplomatically as possible. Finding nothing satisfying, he finally simply said:

"Buffy, being resurrected yourself doesn't give rights of life and death over the others"

"No" Buffy answered coldly. "I don't have that kind of rights. Neither do you. Though, when it came to kill for reasons you thought were right, you didn't hesitate. And you'd have wanted I did the same"

Giles opened his mouth to answer but chocked by Buffy's words, he hesitated long enough for Buffy to resume:

"It's not about killing anymore Giles. It's about bringing back a life too soon ripped out, a life no one was ready to let go. One life Giles. I'm talking about granting myself the right to bring back everyone I miss. It's just about Tara"

The Slayer's voice was now shaking slightly and emotion could be clearly read on her face. It so disturbed Giles that he even forgot his anger.

"Buffy…" He began in a softer voice, like a father soothing a child.

"Giles" interrupted Xander calmly but firmly. "You know Buffy as well as I know her. You're afraid of that kind of magic and so do I. I saw it once and it's not my favorite memory. I did hesitate; I did have doubts about this. Just like you do now. But I know Buffy for years now. And I know she never makes inconsiderate decisions when it comes to others. I know I can trust her. Facing an important decision, I can trust her. Facing THAT decision, I think she knows better than anyone what can be done or not. If she feels we can do it, then I believe we can do. Because she's the one telling so. And because I trust her"

Buffy couldn't help but smile when she heard Xander's statement of belief. The carpenter didn't hide his doubts and skepticism when she had told him about her plans for the first time. And he had not hesitated to clash with her – and sometimes hard – when he disagreed with her. And now, he was claming his full faith in her and what she felt was a good choice. Having his support gave even more force to the Slayer's resolution.

"You have no idea what forces you want to use" Giles whispered.

"That's the reason why we're asking for your help Giles" Buffy explained. "Our decision is made anyhow. It will just be faster if you help us, that's all"

"And it will probably be safer too" Xander added in a lighter tone.

Giles sighed and looked up. Then he stared at them one after the other. Finally, he turned his head to his desk and his eyes fell on the pictures that never left him.

One of them pictured all of them, sat down at table at Buffy's : Buffy and Dawn, Xander and Anya, Willow and Tara, Joyce and himself. He remembered it was for the Thanksgiving Day following Tara's twentieth birthday. Before… Before too much things to name all of them.

On the next photo, much younger Buffy, Xander and Willow were smiling to the lens with an annoyed smile, trademark of bored teenagers waiting impatiently for Giles to press the trigger.

On the last one, Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara were obviously playing cards in Revello Drive living-room. Dawn was looking at her sister with an annoyed look on her face. Willow was sat on Tara's knees and the blonde witch was looking at her with utter affection. The redhead had been shot in one of her trademark babble fest, and beside her, Buffy was laughing heartily to her friend's funny face. Giles couldn't remember exactly when this one had been shot but for a second he thanked whoever had come up with photography to allow instants like this to be captured and to remember they had really happened, that they were not only desperate dreams.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked finally, taking regretfully his eyes off those happier times.

Buffy and Xander exchanged a look. Then they both looked at Giles again and together just said "We are".

Giles stared at them seriously again and seemed to weight his words before saying :

"I'm going to help you"

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	3. Act 2

**Act 2**

Xander bent over his bed and took his suitcase before putting it on the mattress. He was in his room and thanks to the open window, he could hear a group of girls laughing and playing in the hotel park. From times to times, spatter and water sounds reminded him the weather was perfect for swimming. The water sounds getting louder reminded him also that swimming in a swimming-pool full of fifteen years old Slayers was probably not for the best.

Xander opened his suitcase and stared at the content. A week after his arrival, it has nothing to do with the uncluttered one it was. To tell the truth, he would probably have a really hard time to find a single cloth well folded. That observation made him smile when he thought that if Willow saw that, she would probably give him a fake severe look, would babble something about him being unable to keep things in order, would suggest to clean everything for him and would finally give up in front of the range of the task.

Xander took some clothes in the pile in front of him: a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, some underwear. Then he put everything he had just gathered in a light backpack waiting on the bed. Finally, he turned to the gear gathered on his bed too. Buffy had insisted to lead him to the armory and to have him take weapons to choose. Beside the obvious stakes, there were several swords and knives of different sizes, an axe, and a crossbow. And a sledgehammer on the floor because Xander wasn't sure the bed could bear its weight. He sighed while staring at all this stuff among which he had to choose what to take with him. After a few minutes of just looking at the weapons, he had just decided to take the sledgehammer back to the armory when someone knocked. He looked for a second at everything on his bed and searched for a way to cover it. Finding none, he gave up and went to the door. He opened it cautiously as his visitor couldn't see in the room. He was relieved when he saw Buffy waiting in the doorstep. She pushed him inside without a word and closed the door behind her.

"So, are you done?" she asked in a hurried voice.

Xander gestured to the bed behind him. Buffy got closer to it.

"See yourself," he said.

Buffy stared at the mess on Xander's mattress. Then she seized the backpack and put all the stakes in, then slid a short-bladed knife in one of the pocket on the side before considering the remaining weapons. Xander sighed and sat on the bed where the stakes were previously spread.

"Buff," He began, searching his words. "Are you sure all this is necessary? For what I know, we're not going for a slaying party"

"You heard Giles like me" Buffy replied. "We don't really know what to expect. We have to be careful"

"But we're not supposed to get attacked!" Xander insisted. "Why would we get attacked?"

Buffy shrugged to show she didn't know.

"Giles said those guys don't get too much visit and could be all suspicious"

Buffy stared at Xander's worried look and made room for her to sit beside him.

"This is just to be careful. We won't probably have to fight. Actually, we're taking all those weapons just to prevent Giles to be too much worried. But you're right; we have no reason to worry. We'll be all welcomed…"

"Buff…" Xander interrupted seriously.

"Okay" Buffy said in the same tone. "You know I'm lying. The thing is, maybe we'll have to fight and we're taking them for ME not to worry too much. Actually, I have no idea how they'll welcome us, I have no idea about anything and…"

"Buff…" Xander interrupted again. "I wasn't talking about this"

Buffy frowned and stared at him with a questioning look.

"What were you talking about then?"

Xander looked down and cleared his throat. Then he looked at her straight in the eye.

"Are we sure we want to do this?"

Buffy's look went immediately from questioning to frustrated.

"Xander" she began.

But Xander didn't let her finish.

"I know what you're gonna tell me… I know we already talk about all this…"

"I thought we agreed! It's been days we're talking about this!"

"Buffy, we can't make a decision like this lightly… Are some days of thinking enough to decide?"

Buffy stood up and crossed her arms over her chest with a resolute look on her face. Her gaze hardened and she asked in a harsh voice:

"How long did it take Willow to convince you Xander?"

Xander sighed deeply and looked away.

"Maybe more than some days" he answered.

"Is the number of days that important? Willow didn't know where she was going. And I very much know where I come from"

She stopped a second and stared at Xander.

"My decision is made, I already told you that. I don't force you to follow me. If you don't feel like coming with me, I'll go alone"

And saying this, Buffy headed toward the door. Xander jumped after her and seized by her wrist.

"No. Don't go. It's not what I meant. I'll come with you. I once told you I'd always be with you and I will be. I just want to make sure we're doing what's right. If something like that is done, I won't be out of it"

Buffy and Xander stared at each other and Buffy noticed the resolution in her friend's gaze. She relaxed and came back toward the bed.

"Alright. But I don't want you to come against your will Xander. I'd understand if you wanna stay outside of this"

Xander shook his head vigorously.

"Buff, we're talking about Willow and Tara here. How could I stay outside of something that important for Will?" He asked sincerely.

"I'm with you. All with you" he insisted.

Buffy nodded solemnly.

"Okay. Well, let's check where we are. I'm ready. I've taken two stakes, two short knives, a sword and a crossbow"

She stared at the weapons on the bed, then at Xander again.

"I think you don't need a crossbow," she offered.

"I can use a crossbow" Xander exclaimed. "I've made strides!" he added quickly.

"I'm pretty sure Xander" Buffy answered in a tone pointing clearly she didn't believe a word of what she was saying. "But one crossbow for two people is enough"

"I'm sure you wouldn't say that if you were going with Kennedy"

Buffy smiled.

"Of course I would. And I'd let Kennedy take the crossbow, it's her thing"

Xander smiled back.

"So, stakes, knives and an axe should be okay"

"An axe?" Buffy asked.

"I promise I will manipulate it away from you" Xander said with a grin.

"Good. And only on the side you can see!" Buffy replied, grinning too.

Then, she added more seriously:

"So, we're ready?"

"I think we are" Xander answered, looking around the room in search of something he would have forgotten.

Seeing none, he closed his bag.

"Buff…" He said after a second of silence. "What are we going to tell the others? Willow and Dawn?"

"Nothing!" Buffy answered immediately. "Absolutely nothing. No one but Giles must know where we're going"

"And what kind of tale do you think to tell Dawn and Willow to justify our absence? That trip could last days"

"We'll tell them the least things possible." Buffy answered firmly.

Xander arched a skeptical eyebrow.

"You really think that each of them and even more, both of them together will be okay with vague explanations?"

"Giles will deal with them"

Xander stared at her curiously.

"Giles? You trust Giles to resist to both Willow and Dawn's pressure?"

Buffy nodded.

"He'll do good"

Then she headed toward the door without letting him time to protest again and said after looking at her watch:

"We'll meet at Giles as soon as you're ready"

---------------------------------------------------

Never before, neither Xander nor Buffy had noticed the door in the back of Giles' office.

It was the end of the afternoon and the sun was slowly starting to go down behind the skyline, brightening the room through the large window with warm red-orange colors in the process.

When both Xander and Buffy were there, Giles locked his door, shut the blinds and invited the two friends to follow him in the little adjoining room none of them had noticed before.

That new room was almost empty, save for a row of shelves on the back wall. The only one small window was shut and blocked off by heavy blinds. The only light in the room was given by rows of candles laid on the shelves and the floor.

Buffy and Xander came in almost shyly, both of them looking at their new surroundings, and they jumped a little when Giles closed the door behind them. The Watcher headed toward the shelves and took a big paper sheet and a book from them. Then, he came back to the center of the room and put them to the floor before gesturing to Buffy and Xander – who had remained by the door - to come closer. Both friends obeyed and sat in front of Giles. He spread out the sheet that was in fact a map and pointed a point with his forefinger.

"That's your goal" He said. "The ancient monastery of Cejkov in Hungary. A warlock known by the name of Gideon lived there with his coven"

"Tell us more about this warlock Giles" Buffy hurried him.

Giles shook his head regretfully.

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you much more than what I told you before. It's really hard to get information about warlocks and coven practicing necromancy. The Westbury coven accepted to inform me but the information they gave – or accepted to give – are rather meagre. From what they told me, I think Gideon is the most likely to help you. Despite his affinities with the black arts – including necromancy – he doesn't seem to be too dangerous, unlike some of his counterparts I wouldn't suggest even under knife. And the coven have a good relationship with him and his friends despite their disagreements about some aspects of magic."

"Good point" Xander commented.

"Have this coven already practiced resurrections?" asked Buffy, almost whispering the last word.

"It's hard to tell. It's likely but can't be said for certain. It's really hard to get information about that kind of thing. And I'm unable to tell you how they proceed."

"Will…Will it be something like for…"

Buffy's voice choked a little before she finished.

"…me?"

Giles shook his head.

"That's the only thing I'm totally certain about. Whatever happens, Gideon can't use the spell Willow used for you. Willow used the last remaining urn of Osiris and it got broken during the spell. And even when Willow managed to invoke him without it, he refused to bring her back in his name due to the reason of the death"

Buffy nodded, showing so her understanding, and Xander did the same.

"You have to understand some essential points before getting involved in this" Giles resumed.

He breathed in deeply and removed his glasses.

"First, You have to know that the spell Willow used to bring you back is probably the most powerful one for that matter. Others spells exist and can lead to resurrections more…"

Giles stopped for a second, searching for the right word.

"Delicate" he finished.

"More delicate?" Xander asked while Buffy just nodded.

"I read this in the books we studied at the library." The blonde Slayer told her friend and her former Watcher.

"And?" Xander asked again.

"Depending on the spell and the spellcaster's power, the resurrection can be more or less easy. Sometimes, the body needs some time to get 'fixed', sometimes, soul had to find its way back, sometimes body and soul had to get used to each other again…"

"It's a good summary" Giles confirmed, a touch of pride in his voice as he noticed Buffy's researching efforts.

"And this warlock, this Gideon…" Xander began.

"He's a powerful warlock" Giles answered immediately. "I wouldn't send you to an inevitable failure" he assured.

Giles fell silent, long enough for him to take a piece of cloth in his pocket and weep his glasses he still held between his fingers.

"What you should absolutely be aware of, the most important thing is that nothing can guarantee that Gideon managed to perform a ritual to bring Tara back. Even if he agrees to help you, success is in no case guaranteed."

Buffy and Xander nodded seriously, showing they clearly understood what Giles was saying.

"We know this" Buffy whispered. "That's the reason why nobody must know. Willow for evident reasons. And not Dawn too"

Giles nodded.

"I meant it this way Buffy. You don't claim it everywhere when you try to resurrect someone"

Again, Buffy nodded and the three of them stared at each other in silence.

"Is there anything else we should know, Giles?"

"Whatever happens, don't forget that Gideon is a powerful warlock practicing dark magic. He might be dangerous. Be always on your guards"

"Giles, is he more powerful than Willow?" Xander asked. "I'm asking 'cause you know, don't really wanna face an all dark-haired angry warlock. Wouldn't have any yellow crayon story to tell"

Giles smiled sadly.

"Dark magic doesn't always manifest itself this way Xander. And to answer your question, Gideon, like every others, is far behind Willow considering power. What she would be able to do, most of warlocks and witches could only dream about. But Gideon had something precious over her: he perfectly controls his power"

He fell silent again.

"Which is good for what we want to ask him?" Xander questioned.

Giles nodded his head.

"Well, it's time to do the transport spell. To come back, you'll have to take a plane in Budapest. I booked tickets for you"

"What's this spell about Giles?" Xander asked, slightly worried as Giles stood up and went to the shelves again.

"It's a teleportation spell," Giles answered while gathering ingredients laid on the shelves.

"I thought that kind of spell needed a great power. How are you going to do that?" Buffy asked.

"I don't have the magical ability to do that. That's why the Westbury coven will do it from afar. I'm just an intermediary"

"It's riskless?" Xander asked.

"Of course Xander" Giles said. "But, you know, it's a spell and some of them misfires sometimes" he added in a casual tone.

Xander frowned.

"I'm not sure you've reassured me here Giles"

Giles smiled and patted his shoulder before tracing a circle on the floor with the content of a phial.

"Don't worry. They're not beginners, they're a powerful coven."

Giles scattered another phial's content in the circle then lightened the candles on the contour line.

"Get in the circle" he said. "Face to face and hold each other hands"

Buffy and Xander did as they were told after gathering their own backpack and the map Giles had given them. The Watcher sat cross-legged near the circle, closed his eyes and began to chant words in Latin.

After just some seconds, the candles light brightened and the circle color changed slightly then more clearly. Buffy and Xander felt like the world around them was spinning, slowly first, then so fast they felt dizzy and had to clutch to each other to stay up. Then there was a brief flash of light and a sharp noise.

Giles opened his eyes. Xander and Buffy had disappeared.

----------------------------------------------------

Faith was lying down in one of the foyer's sofas, watching absent-mindedly at the TV across from her. It broadcasted a martial arts movie and a bunch of Slayers were laughing loudly at it. If she raised her head slightly, Faith could see Dawn and Willow playing pool in the back of the room under Kennedy's stare. Seeing their three faces, Faith could easily guess that the game was close and each go seemed to ask all the player's attention. Faith watched them for a moment, vaguely heard Kennedy explaining something about how to hold the cue and Dawn answering dryly she didn't need any advice from her. Faith wondered if Dawn had a particular reason to behave that way with the Slayer. She had searched her memories from a year before in Sunnydale, during the battle against the First and couldn't remember Dawn hating Kennedy with such force. On the other hand, it was not like she had a lot of time to get concerned with everyone's relationships.

Andrew came in then, holding an ice-cream pot in his hand and settled beside Kennedy, commenting on the game, with his so trademark way to add random references making his speech incomprehensible for profanes. In others words, incomprehensible for Faith. She sighed, noticing the noise in the room had increased with his entrance and increased again when Kennedy seized his ice-cream and began to devour it with an appreciating look under the young Watcher's annoyed glance.

Faith's attention then turned to other sofas in the room where Slayers were settled by group of two or three, gathered around a book or talking quietly. Faith couldn't recognize one of them. Obviously, a lot of newbies had arrived since her last visit here but she wasn't even able to put a name on familiar faces. Faith sighed again and turned to the TV where men were still jumping in every direction under the viewers' boos, before her gaze came to rest on the ceiling.

She wondered where Buffy and Xander might have gone. She had heard Giles mention a kind of mission without giving any indications and since then, she kept wondering what kind of mission the council could entrust a retired Slayer and a one-eyed carpenter with. Faith wasn't full of imagination and despite all her efforts; she couldn't come up with a good explanation. She thought a second to ask Willow, the redhead probably knowing everything about that matter for lack of being with her two best friends. But thinking of being the one asking something of Willow added to the fact she had to get up for that made her stay in her sofa, trying desperately to find the key to this mystery for lack of a better occupation.

The noise of hurrying footsteps in the corridor brought her back to present and she saw a young Slayer rushing in the foyer and stopping on the doorstep, totally out of breath.

"Vampires attack in the center" she yelled in a frenzied voice. "Alpha group on their tail in the small cemetery. They need support"

Faith jumped on her feet when she heard the news and saw Kennedy coming to the newcomer.

"What cemetery?" she asked with authority.

"South, not too far from here". Replied the other. "Hamilton cemetery"

"Good" Kennedy said, obviously used to lead. "Everyone with me. We drop in the armory and let's go"

She was about to rush out but stopped short when she saw Faith looking at her.

"Faith, you coming?"

"You betcha!" The dark-haired Slayer answered, all too happy with this distraction.

"Let's go"

And all the girls disappeared in the corridor, letting Willow, Dawn and Andrew alone and dazed. Andrew took back his ice-cream, abandoned by Kennedy.

"At least, I have my ice-cream back" he said, planting his spoon resolutely in the pot.

------------------------------------------------

"Oooch ! " Xander exclaimed. "That was a hell of a thing!"

He swept the dust off his pair of jeans and stoop up before getting closer to Buffy who was already up at a meter.

"You okay Buff?"

The Slayer nodded.

"Slightly shaken" She pointed out. "Handy way of traveling" she added while looking around her.

She and Xander had landed on a dirt road bordered by flourishing trees, almost at the top of a hill. The Slayer couldn't feel any presence nearby except their own.

"Do you think we're where Giles planned?" Xander asked.

Buffy didn't answer and put her backpack on the ground before taking out the map Giles had given them.

"According to what he said, we should be here" she said pointing a point on the map.

Xander nodded and looked around him.

"If we are, we had to climb to the top of the hill and the monastery should be below us"

"Let's go and see" Buffy replied.

She hid a knife under her jacket and seized a sword. She gestured to Xander to do the same before taking a step toward the top. After taking his axe in hand, the carpenter followed her. After just a few minutes of walk, they were at the top of the hill and could see the goal of their trip just where Giles had said it would be.

"Perfect" Buffy said. "These teleportations are precise. I think I'm gonna order one to Giles to get back to Rome"

"Not sure he'll accept." Xander answered. "He's not too happy about magic use"

"Things change" Buffy replied darkly.

"No doubt" Xander said.

They began to go down the path leading to the monastery in silence. When they reached the halfway point, Buffy came to a stop abruptly and turned to her friend.

"Xander. There's something we hardly talked about. You know, about Anya…"

Xander raised his hand to interrupt her.

"No Buff. I know exactly what you're thinking about. But what we're doing, it's not building our own world with everyone we want in it. We agreed on something, on someone. 'Cause we know Willow won't ever get through this. We agreed 'cause it was so unfair to Tara. Anya made her choice. I've got to respect that. Even if it hurts. And it hurts. Bad"

Buffy nodded and smiled sadly.

"When have you become so wise?"

"I guess that living so much years beside the best Slayer the world ever known can do that to a man"

Buffy smiled warmly again and approved.

"You sure?" She asked again.

"Sure" Xander confirmed. "I won't say I'll never regret that later. But I'm sure »

"Okay. Okay"

The two friends resumed their walk and crossed quickly the distance that parted them from the monastery. It was nestled between several rocky and lost hills and looked like it had been built in the middle of nowhere. The cloudy and smoky sky above their heads gave a particularly severe look to the monastery gray rocks. The building was large and high but looked like it hadn't been visited in years.

"I wonder if Giles information about that warlock are still up to date," Xander said while staring at the building. "It doesn't look like someone's living here"

Buffy shrugged.

"We'll see. After all, we're talking about warlocks and witches. They sometimes have strange tastes"

"I guess that your sister'd tell us that Willow dating Kennedy is a perfect example to that theory" Xander said with a smile.

"I guess" Buffy confirmed.

"Do you think I have to knock?" she asked him, as they were now standing in front of a heavy wooden door crossed-out by large wrought iron bars.

"Let's knock" Xander said. "That's what polite people do"

Buffy seized the large iron handle standing in the middle of the door and knocked loudly three times. Xander and Buffy waited for several minutes but nothing happened.

"Looks like it's big. Maybe you can't hear knocking when you're in the backyard?" Xander suggested.

Buffy didn't answer and looked carefully at the door. Then she kicked it violently without warning. The door squeaked and opened partway.

"It's another way to go" Xander said. "Less polite but more efficient."

"Follow me" Buffy ordered.

She gripped tightly her sword and slid into the gap she had just created. Xander followed closely, still holding his axe. They emerged in a courtyard covered in irregular paving stones. In the center was standing a fountain whose pouring water was the only sound Buffy's Slayer hearing perceived. Wild grass had grown between the paving stones and almost entirely covered some of them. On the left and the right stood high gray walls, which closed the place. The only exits were the door they just used to enter and a smaller one in the building in front of them.

"Looks like all this is deserted" Xander grumbled.

"Let's go and see" Buffy ordered, heading to the door in front of them.

Xander nodded and followed the blonde Slayer. In front of the door, Buffy turned to Xander:

"Do you think I try to knock again or I just open this door?"

"Try to knock and you'll just open when no one will answer"

Buffy approved and did as previously. She knocked at full force the wooden door. But again she didn't get any answer. She didn't wait and swung her foot against the door, which opened with a loud crash. She and Xander came in a big room whose walls were as gray and nude as those outside. The ceiling was high and large windows dig up in the walls on each side of the door were lightening the room. But they didn't look at the room more than that: in front of them stood five men. All perfectly in line. All dressed with the same monk's robe. All with hands in their back. They looked like they waited for them.

Buffy searched for her voice to say something but the men in the middle didn't let her enough time and took a step forward before talking in a loud and stern voice:

"Welcome. We were waiting for you"

-------------------------------------------------


	4. Act 3

**Act 3**

« Xander ! Behind you! » Buffy yelled at the top of her lungs when she saw one of their aggressors sneaking behind the carpenter.

The greetings with the five men who waited for them in the room they had just came in, had not last. As the leader had finished his greeting message, the five men had revealed holding little sledgehammers in their hands and had attacked them without warning. But Buffy had foreseen such a welcome and had reacted fast enough to knock out the first attacker even before the others one reached them.

Since then, Buffy and Xander were exchanging blows with their enemies Buffy thought probably magically enhanced. Her Slayer's reflexes prevented her from being hurt by one of her opponents and it wasn't Xander's case and the four remaining men had understood this and tried to keep her away from her friend.

But despite a missing eye and a year with far less fights than the previous ones, Xander hadn't lost his fighting skills and when he heard Buffy's scream, he quickly slid on the side and elbowed his attacker in his neck. The man fell to the floor, unconscious.

Buffy eyed quickly the situation: they were three opponents left. She could take care of them herself. But she had to get closer to Xander to be able to protect him if she had to. Then, she threw a violent kick in her first opponent's stomach before doing the same to the second. Now free, she ran to the center of the room to meet Xander. Seeing her do so, the carpenter understood what she was trying to do and headed toward her.

Soon, they were back to back.

"Ready to finish this?" Buffy asked.

"Sure" Xander answered. "Don't the greatest memory of cassocks guys!"

Buffy felt her heart constrict unwillingly to the painful memory. But she put herself together again quickly. It wasn't time to cry about the past.

All the men were getting ready to attack all together. Buffy easily pushed back the first one, sweeping his legs off with her right foot. He staggered and ended his fall in a forward roll before getting to his feet again almost immediately.

But it had let Buffy enough time to take of another opponent. She sent him two direct blows in his face and he fell to the ground. Buffy cast a glance to Xander and saw him doing the same to another one.

The only remaining man scanned the room, searching for one of his friends still up. He just had time to record he was alone before Buffy threw a blow at full force in his jaw, sending him several meters behind where he fell to the ground in his turn.

"You okay?" Buffy immediately asked Xander.

He seemed to check before answering with a grin :

"All good. Some bruises maybe, but nothing serious. You?"

"No damage" she said simply.

"It was a long time since I've found myself in a fight" Xander said. "I'm still good" he added with a hint of pride. "One eye or not"

Buffy smiled to him.

"You've been perfect Xander" she said. "As always." She added sincerely.

"Oh oh" Xander replied.

Buffy saw his lone eye staring at something behind her and she turned back to see what he was looking at. She sighed when she saw five new men, dressed like the previous ones, coming in sight.

"Looks like we have some more company"

"I bet those guys are not more talky than the previous ones"

Xander approved.

"Bet taken"

--------------------------------------------------

Far from there, a bunch of other Slayers were in action. Lead by Kennedy and Faith, the small group had gone to the 'small cemetery' to help another squad.

Just as they crossed the cemetery entrance, Jenny, whose face was covered with blood and sweat, welcomed them.

"A movie theatre has been attacked not too far from here" she explained. "I think there were civilians hurt…" she added in a breath.

"We intervened" she resumed in a more assured tone. "They withdrew to this cemetery"

"Girls hurt?" Kennedy asked.

Jenny gestured behind her and pointed a hand to group of three girls gathered near a tombstone.

"Deborah's bad I think" she said in a shaking voice.

"Let's see this" Kennedy replied, heading toward the group.

"Where're the others?" Faith interrupted.

"Chasing the vampires" Jenny said, pointing a direction. "I was waiting for you before going to help"

Faith nodded.

"I'm going with the girls. Take care of the wounded before meeting with us"

Kennedy was ready to protest but Faith was quicker.

"Do what I'm saying"

And she began to go away while gesturing to the girls to follow her/

"Be careful" Kennedy grumbled to Faith before following Jenny to the wounded girls.

Two Slayers were kneeling beside a third who was laying on the ground with her head on one of her friend's knees. One of the girls was holding her hand and tried to reassure her by promising everything would be fine. The other girl was crying silently beside them. Kennedy stared at her face dirty with sweat, dust, blood and tears. She probably wasn't older than sixteen.

"Show her the wound Patricia" Jenny ordered.

Then, she moved Patricia's hands apart from the laying Slayer's neck. Kennedy winced when she saw the deep holes inflicted by a vampire bite. She searched immediately for the girl's pulse.

"She's alive" Said the youngest Slayer when she saw her doing so. "We already checked. The vampire didn't have time to turn her anyway"

Kennedy didn't stop her gesture and felt relieved when she felt the Slayer's heart pounding.

"The vampire ran away?" She asked while looking closely at the wound/

"No" Answered the young girl. "I turned him to dust" she added with a hint of pride in her voice and her gaze.

"You probably saved her life, hum, …"

"Jody" Jenny completed for her.

"You probably saved her life Jody" Kennedy repeated.

Then, she stood up.

"We have to get her out of here quickly. She needs urgent cares"

She took her mobile from her pocket and dialed the hotel's number.

"Why didn't you call?"

Jenny took her own crashed cell phone from her pocket.

"It got hurt during the attack" she said casually.

"No one else had a phone?"

Jenny nodded then shook her head.

"Melinda has one but she had already left with the others when Carrie got hurt"

Kennedy nodded and her attention went back to her phone. Andrew's voice rang out in her ear. Kennedy didn't let him time to make his welcome speech.

"Andrew, you have a girl seriously hurt at Hamilton. Send us a car immediately"

"Yes" Andrew answered in a strident voice. "Hamilton cemetery. I send an emergency car right immediately. Consider it done. You don't have to worry Kennedy, I'll take care of everything"

"Thanks Andrew" she said simply before hanging up.

Then she handed her phone to Jenny.

"Keep it in case you have to call back." She said while seizing her crossbow she had let on the floor before.

"I'm coming with you" Jenny protested. "I have to help my girls"

Kennedy stared at her from head to toes.

"You look like shit" she concluded when her inspection was done. "Your girls will need you" she added while gesturing to the three girls on the floor. "Other vampires could come before the car gets here"

"Kennedy… "

"No. You're staying. We're enough. And Faith's there"

That last evidence didn't seem to convince Jenny in the least but she gave up anyway.

"Be careful. There's a nest we're looking for somewhere in this cemetery. A large and well-organized group"

Kennedy nodded.

"Thanks. See you later"

---------------------------------------------------

Kennedy didn't have to run a long time in the cemetery dark alleys before she met with the group. The Slayers were fighting so much vampires that Kennedy's eyes opened wide with surprise. She had never seen so many vampires together during her stay in Cleveland before she left for Brazil. Kennedy stared closely at the scene and felt relieved not to see Slayers bodies on the ground. Kennedy noticed a young girl having a hard time and aimed the vampire who was attacking her with her crossbow. He disappeared in dust without understanding what happened to him. The Slayer gave her a grateful smile. Kennedy went on with her work and shot arrows after arrows with deathly precision.

Seeing the group was tearing apart, Kennedy decided to throw herself in the heart of the fight and to call to gather around her.

"Everyone together" She yelled as loud as she could so that each girl could hear her. "Everyone around me"

The closest vampire tried to shut her up but Kennedy replied to his blows with such ferocity that her opponent hesitated a second on what to do. He considered Kennedy and finally decided it would be wise to avoid her and got away from her.

"Everyone around me" She yelled again.

The other Slayers began to rush around her. They were clearing their way through the vampires with fists and kicks to gather around Kennedy. Surrounded that way, Kennedy could raise her crossbow to her shoulder again and shot several times a group of vampires who tried to prevent two Slayers to meet with them. With Kennedy's help, the girls easily defeated the remaining vampires of the group and came to the gathering.

Kennedy looked at her surroundings and didn't see any alone Slayer anymore. The group was together again.

"Together now" Kennedy screamed.

All the girls resumed fighting at Kennedy's order. Organized so, the group was far more efficient than before and the vampires were disappearing in dust one after the other. In the middle of the fight, while giving blows and kicks proficiently, Kennedy was still able to look after the girls, trying to count them to be sure none was missing. Suddenly, Kennedy began to look frantically around her. After staring closely each part of her field of vision, she caught the closest Slayer by her sleeve and asked:

"Where's Faith?"

------------------------------------------------------------------

A blow on her right, a kick on her left, digging with her elbow behind her. Buffy got rid of her assailants who fell to the ground one after the other. Then she went to Xander's help. He had a hard time, his two opponents attacking him by both sides to take advantage of his impairment. Xander was twirling his axe in his right hand to prevent the first man to come to him but couldn't watch the other who didn't loose time to hit violently behind his skull. Xander fell to the floor under Buffy's horrified eyes.

"Xander!"

In a second, she had crossed the distance between her and the group and hit furiously Xander's aggressor in his face. He fell to the floor in his turn and Buffy turned to the last standing man who got the same treatment before he got time to realize what was happening.

Buffy bolted to Xander and noticed with relief that he was breathing. She stared at her friend and saw blood oozing from where he had been hit. The blonde Slayer searched for a tissue in her bag and wiped off the blood with care. The carpenter flinched to the contact and his eyelid fluttered once or twice before his alone eye remained open.

"You okay?" Buffy asked worriedly.

Xander stood up on one elbow and winced.

"I'm feeling like a fake monk had just knocked me out by behind. Oh, wait, it ACTUALLY happened"

Buffy smiled.

"Can you get up?"

Xander nodded carefully and stoop up slowly.

"I should be okay" he said to Buffy who was looking at him worriedly. "I'll just get a good headache, nothing more"

He finally stood up with Buffy's help and they both gathered their things shattered in the room.

"Those guys were not too welcoming" Xander grumbled.

"Well, better be the Slayer to come and ask for something here"

"Or better come with weapons. A lot of weapons"

Both friends looked around them. Their opponents' bodies were now laying here and there in the big room which was now weirdly silent.

"And now?" Xander asked. "Do you think Gideon's really here? "

"Oh, yeah, I think so" Buffy replied. "I don't think that attacking visitors this way is an habit for any known religion"

"On the other hand" Xander commented. "You opened the door by kicking it"

"Hum, that's right' Buffy answered. "But have you ever seen monks so strong and trained to fight this way?"

"I think I can remember a priest this description fits quite well"

"And, it wasn't normal if you remember correctly. I'm going for supernatural here"

"Okay, okay, supergirl, you're probably right. Getting attacked by super-trained monks in a monastery lost in the middle of nowhere is nowhere close to normal"

"And crashing in the middle of nowhere all-armed is nowhere close to normal either, you'll probably agree upon that"

Buffy and Xander jumped and flip-flopped to the sound of a new and deep voice coming from behind them. On the other side of the room, a grizzled-haired man was standing on the last steps of stairs none of them had noticed before. Two men dressed like the ones they had just defeated, were standing behind him.

"I'm Gideon." He said simply. "Miss Summers. Mr Harris. Welcome"

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The new Council's restaurant was located in the bottom of the hotel, on the opposite side across the training rooms and the Slayers dorms. Spacious and well decorated, it offered a feeling of serenity and peace to those who came here for dinner and allowed the patrons to escape the stress of their life the time of their dinner. A headwaiter welcomed the patrons at the doorstep, opened the door then leaded them to their table where a glass of wine was usually waiting for them.

The tables were enough away from each other to give some privacy to everyone. They were covered with white unblemished tablecloths and glowing place settings. A single candle burned in the middle of some tables. Wide bay windows gave onto the street on one side, and onto the hotel park on the other side. A sweet softened music played and added to the fine ambiance of the restaurant. Soft whispers could be heard coming from the clients' conversations. An ambulance siren screamed in the night.

Near one of the bay window, two young Watchers attacked their dessert. Not far from then, a group of four men ordered their meal to a perfectly dressed waiter.

Robin Wood sat at a table near the bar standing in the bottom of the room. He was alone. He wore a dark blue men's suit and a white shirt and no necktie. Being here in that restaurant strangely reminded him of that time he had invited Buffy for a dinner in Sunnydale one year ago. Except that Buffy wasn't in front of him this time. Actually, no one was in front of him. Robin looked at his watch for what seemed the hundredth time in minutes. Then he turned to the wall clock hung up on the wall behind the bar. He let escape a long sigh.

"Excuse me sir, would you still wait?"

Wood jumped to the headwaiter voice. He was standing beside him and looked at him with a sympathetic look on his face. Wood looked at his watch again.

"Some more minutes please"

"As you want sir," the man replied politely before leaving him alone.

Robin sank back in his seat. He was waiting for Faith for more than an hour now and he was shared between deep delusion and resignation. He was disappointed but not really surprised. He looked around him and thought that Faith wouldn't have felt at ease in a this too stylish restaurant for her rough behavior.

Robin sighed again. He wondered why he was still waiting. He knew Faith wouldn't come. He had known this as soon as the clock had pointed that the Slayer was ten minutes late. But he had stayed. More to give him clear conscience than because he thought Faith would finally show up. If the woman was often unpredictable, there were areas Robin knew exactly what to expect from her. Despite all his exertions, he had never managed to gain her confidence. Faith had remained inscrutable. Definitely inscrutable.

Robin looked at his watch again, and then emptied his glass of wine the waiter had never stopped to fill during the last hour. Wood gestured to the headwaiter who joined him quickly.

"Sir?"

"I'm ready to order," Robin said simply. "My guest won't come"

"I'm listening to you sir"

-------------------------------------------------------------

Buffy and Xander looked at the newcomer going down the last steps and coming closer. Buffy tightened and gripped more firmly her sword to be ready to respond to any threat. Unlike her, the man seemed relaxed, almost jolly as he looked around him at his minions on the floor with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"How do you know who we are?" Buffy asked. "We never got time to introduce ourselves before getting attacked by your guys"

Gideon smiled wider, obviously even more amused.

"Oh, my dear, your reputation predates you. You don't think that a warlock like me wouldn't feel such a power come here?"

He stopped near one of his minions' body and considered it a second before resuming:

"And you didn't fall short your reputation"

"Why getting us attacked?"

"Why are you here?" Gideon asked instead of answering Buffy's question.

Buffy was taken by surprise by Gideon's blunt question. She hadn't imagined their meeting this way. To tell the truth, she hadn't imagined anything. But she thought that if she had imagined something, it wouldn't have been something like that.

"We're here to meet you" she replied simply.

Gideon burst into a small laughter.

"Oh, I pretty much guessed you weren't here for tourism. Besides, the place's not likely touristy. And people come rarely here to see me out of courtesy"

Buffy and Xander exchanged a glance. Whatever happened, they came here to ask his help. Nothing in his present behavior could tell us if he would be willing to help them or not. They would have to present their request at one point or another. So it didn't matter if it had to be here, in the middle of a large lobby, surrounded by laying bodies and weapons in hands. The sooner the better.

"We know you're an expert in necromancy. We're here to ask you to help us to perform a resurrection"

Buffy stared at the warlock while she was talking to him, watching out for his reaction. He had none. Gideon remained impassive. His expression showed any particular emotion as he heard the news.

"Interesting" He said simply.

There was a silence then Gideon came even closer.

"Interesting" he repeated, staring at each of them. "You're ready to risk your lives to ask for a resurrection. Weird, isn't it? Except if you were looking to me to kill two birds with the same stone?"

Buffy frowned, not sure to understand what the warlock meant. Seeing the confusion on her face, Gideon decided to help her :

"If your friend here" he pointed Xander with his chin "had been killed by my minions, you would probably asked for two resurrections I guess. You probably think that I can resurrect people like others make rabbits appear from their hat?"

"Of course not!" Buffy protested vehemently. "We even really much know about what we're talking"

Gideon arched an eyebrow and stared intensely at Buffy for several seconds.

"Right" He finally said. "I think I know you've been brought back from the dead yourself. And Mr. Harris was involved in the ritual. A very impressive ritual"

"Very impressive" he repeated a second later, a more thoughtful look on his face.

"We won't talk about all this here, please follow me"

And before waiting for an answer, Gideon turned on his heels and went back to the stairs, followed by his two minions. Xander and Buffy exchanged a questioning glance. The blonde Slayer shrugged.

"We don't have much of a choice. We'll see where he leads us"

Xander nodded and both friends followed Gideon. They climbed a flight of steps made in gray and uneven rocks almost hidden by a heavy coat of dust. On the second floor, the small group took a dark corridor, only lighted by exiguous windows, which allowed the weak outside light in. They passed several closed doors and finally the warlock opened one and invited his guests in. This room wasn't rough and bare as what they had seen until now. The ground was also made of large gray paving stones but it was almost disappearing under a huge carpet. The walls were covered with gold and reds draperies and the room felt almost welcoming. Several sofas and armchair were standing around an all-wood coffee table and a large fireplace could be seen in the back of the room. Xander thought it probably was very useful during winter. Two large windows with colorful panes allowed the gray and pallid sky to be seen.

Gideon gestured to Buffy and Xander to sit down, then he headed toward a buffet under a window and took a bottle from it. Then he filled a glass and came back to the two friends.

"I don't offer some" he said pointing to his glass. "It's probably too strong for you"

Xander wondered if the liquid he was drinking was a special 'dark warlock' drink or just a simple alcohol but he believed them too young to drink. But he didn't ask. Not knowing was maybe for the best.

Gideon settled in one of the armchairs in front of the sofa Buffy and Xander had claimed. They cast a quick glance around the room and noticed they were now alone. The minions had disappeared from sight. Gideon probably noticed their glance as he immediately said:

"My friends left to take care of their comrades you knocked out so well" he explained. "And we'll be more at ease to talk between us"

He drank a mouthful from his drink, sank deeper in his armchair and resumed:

"I hope you'll forgive me for this rough welcome. But I'm sure you'd understand I like to know whom I deal with. And some distraction can't be bad. Visitors are so rare"

He fell silent, looking like he thought ardently to the lack of visit the monastery received.

"But, you don't have to worry" He explained. "They wouldn't have killed you, just a little manhandled"

"I promise," He added when he saw their doubtful look to that last assertion.

He drank again and he emptied his glass this time and put it on the table in front of him.

"But, let's come back to the reasons of your visit. What do you want exactly?"

Buffy and Xander looked at each other and Buffy answered:

"We want to bring someone back. One of our friends »

"Details please. Date and cause of the death, age of the friend at the time. Everything you can tell"

"It's our friend Tara" Xander said and it was the first time he opened his mouth since Gideon's appearance.

"Tara Maclay" Buffy précised. And her voice shook slightly as she said the name. "She was about to be twenty-two." The voice shook again. "Shot though the heart, the seventh of may 2002" Buffy completed in a breath.

She could have precise that Tara had died in her girlfriend's arms and that the girlfriend in question had lost her mind for a time. Or that Tara wore a blue pullover that day. Or that the floor was covered in blood. Or that her younger sister, only aged of fifteen, had found the body. But she thought that kind of information wasn't probably important.

"Sunnydale, California" Xander added.

Gideon stared at them one after the other without saying anything and they both wondered if he was waiting for anything else. But none of them saw what morbid and 'technical' detail they could add. Gideon ran his fingers to his chin several times. Then he moved forward in his seat, stared at them intently and asked:

"And why do you want to bring her back?"

------------------------------------------------------


	5. Act 4

**Act 4**

"Why do you want to bring her back ?"

As Gideon's question hit her ears, Buffy felt shared between indignation and astonishment. Did this question only have a meaning? Seeing her reaction, Gideon thought good to precise:

"I'm asking you this cause this girl died two years ago after all. People don't usually ask for a resurrection after two years of mourning"

"We didn't really have time to mourn" the Slayer answered coldly. "We've been kinda busy since her death"

"Ah! The first Evil! Brilliant what you did with it, I'll give you that"

In front of their chocked and questioning looks, Gideon added :

"I told your reputation predates you. I can say I'm really aware of this world's activities"

He looked like he was lost in thoughts for a time and both friends wondered what kind of activities Gideon was talking about. After a silence during which Buffy and Xander waited patiently for him to care about them again, his attention finally returned to them :

"But, let's get back to the reason of your visit"

He paused again.

"So, you want to bring your friend back two years after her death. Why?"

Then he added more firmly :

"I don't bring anyone back without knowing the seekers' motivations"

Buffy and Xander exchanged a glance.

"Is that really important?" The carpenter asked. "You want to be sure we're ready to take the responsibility of our choice?"

It seemed full of meaning. But Gideon showed an amused smile.

"It could have been this. But I'm sorry to disappoint you but what becomes of the dead I bring back is none of my business. It'll have to be yours"

He was serious again and the smile had been replaced by a cold resolution as he said those words. But the expression just last for a second and he smiled again as he concluded:

"No, I'm just curious"

He stared at them again in silence before asking again :

"So, why?"

"Obviously, because she has been murdered." Buffy spat in an icy tone.

Gideon sunk back in his seat and crossed his arms. He didn't answer at first and stared at Buffy with acuity. She finally felt slightly uneasy to be the object of such a scrutiny.

"I obviously meant : except for the fact she's dead" he said finally.

"Well" Xander began after casting a glance to Buffy. "It's about her friend, our best friend, Willow…"

"Ah!" Gideon interrupted. "Willow Rosenberg ! "

Xander frowned severely and his look went instinctively suspicious.

"Don't be that surprised my dear" Gideon exclaimed when he saw his reaction. "Your friend Willow is quite famous too. You have to understand : we can't be that close…" Saying this, he was holding his thumb and his forefinger real close from one another "…to destroy the world and not draw curiosity. That event didn't remain unnoticed"

Buffy and Xander shared the uneasy feeling to the memory. Buffy brushed it off with a gesture of her hand, not willing to hear compliments or ecstasy about that Willow's deeds.

"Yeah, for Willow" She said. "She and Tara…"

But Gideon interrupted her again and his face lightened up with a gleam of understanding.

"Tara Maclay. I see. A witch herself "

Buffy pooched. Why asking her questions if he already knew everything? But she answered anyway:

"Tara was…"

"Miss Rosenberg's girlfriend" Gideon interrupted again.

"Do you really need to ask questions if you already knew all the answers?" Buffy eventually cracked.

The warlock didn't seem to notice exasperation in the Slayer's voice, or he didn't care.

"I didn't ask about the relationship between Miss Rosenberg and Miss Maclay. Actually, I already know all this. My question was about YOUR motivations to come here and ask for Tara Maclay's resurrection."

"We want to bring Tara back cause Willow never came to term with her death" Xander reeled off as quickly as he could to prevent Gideon to interrupt him.

"That's the reason?" Gideon asked Xander.

"Yeah, it is. For Willow" Xander repeated.

Gideon stared at Xander as he wanted to read through him if he was telling the truth. The young man withstood the warlock's piercing gaze without blinking. Gideon finally turned to Buffy without saying anything more to the carpenter:

"And you?"

Buffy couldn't help a gesture of surprise.

"Xander and I are here for the same reasons." She answered. "We want to do something for Willow"

Buffy fell silent. She wasn't really at ease to talk about her motivations toward Willow, even if she had expected that kind of questions.

"You've been resurrected yourself" Gideon resumed. "Ho…"

But the Slayer interrupted him this time. That objection was the first thing she had expected to hear from the warlock.

"Exactly. I know what it is"

"Few can tell so" Gideon admitted.

"Probably" Buffy answered coldly.

They stared at each other for some more seconds in silence.

"So, your motivations?" Gideon eventually asked again.

"I already told you. For Willow. Willow's my best friend and she's suffering. We want to do something to make that suffering end. And only Tara's return can do that"

there was again silence. The atmosphere in the room had become strangely tense and cold as time went. And Gideon's next words did nothing to warm it up.

"I think you're not telling everything. There's something else."

Buffy frowned.

"What do you want more? My best friend's happiness is not a sufficient reason for you?" she asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"I would probably be a sufficient reason" The warlock answered calmly. "If it was the only one"

He set his dark gaze in Buffy's eyes as he was trying to read her soul.

"And it's not the only one" He concluded.

Xander watched the exchange with surprise. What Gideon wanted from Buffy? They had spent days talking about bringing Tara back and Xander knew that giving Willow another chance was what Buffy wanted so much. And he didn't really see what Gideon could look for. He decided to come to Buffy's help as the Slayer seemed not know better what Gideon wanted to come to.

"Tara was our friend too" He began "We will of course be happy to have her back. But we're here for Willow. Really"

Gideon cast him a glance as he was talking but didn't answer. He stoop up suddenly in front of Buffy.

"Come on, Miss Summers, you know there's something else. Tell me, tell your friend"

Xander looked at Buffy getting up in her turn and answered in an exasperated and angry tone:

"There's nothing else!"

Gideon crossed in arms firmly and stared fixedly at Buffy in front of him.

"There's something else" he said.

-----------------------------------------------------

Faith gave a furious blow on her right, turned around sharply to her left as she felt a vampire ready to throw himself on her. The dark-haired Slayer dusted him quickly before nudging a third enemy in his face. A fourth one's attack made her jump down to the ground and did a forward roll to get away their attacks. She got up immediately and attacked again by a forward kick followed by a circular blow. The vampire first got back before he put himself together again and struck back. The Slayer avoided the first blow just by moving a little her head on her side. The second blow had her stepping back and as the third came, she felt two strong arms circle her from behind and hold her into place as a fourth blow hit her in full face. Faith fought to try to free herself but she couldn't move her arms in the slightest. Her opponent fist knocked violently her jaw a second time and Faith felt blood oozing in her mouth. She gave up then to try to free herself and concentrated on the vampire who was hitting her. When his fist was about to connect with her face for the third time, the Slayer moved her head slightly on the side and the vampire hit his counterpart who was restraining Faith.

Faith felt the vampire behind her releasing her slightly and she took advantage of this to free one of her arm and elbowed the vampire behind her who finally let go of her.

Now free, a furious Faith rushed onto him and beat him up before dusting him without letting him a chance to defend himself.

Then she turned with a murderous look to the two remaining vampires who were ready to jump her. The sight of an enraged Faith made them hesitate for a second and this second was deadly. The Slayer hit him with such violence that the creature understood she couldn't resist for long. His comrade probably understood it too cause he run away as quickly as he could. Faith noticed running away through the blows she was giving and growled to the thought to let escape her prey. She then gathered her force and struck him a sequence right jab, left jab even more violently than before and the vampire faltered. Faith just had to run her stake to his heart. She didn't wait for him to disappear in dust to stand up and go after the runaway who was already several dozens meters away.

Faith saw the vampire slaloming between the tombstones and changing often directions to try to loose her. But Faith was far too fast and nimble and she gained ground meter after meter. The vampire turned regularly around to see Faith even closer than the previous time.

Finally in a path's curve, the Slayer saw her prey break a crypt door open and disappear in the crypt to try to escape her. Faith growled victoriously. Trapped this way, he couldn't escape her. Faith rushed inside the crypt and slid the crypt stairs down just some seconds after the vampire.

It was dark and Faith stayed a second on the last steps of the stairs to get used to the darkness. She stepped in, searching where the runaway was hiding. The crypt seemed vast and deserted. But Faith's senses told her that there were vampires here. Several vampires. This time she stepped back, her Slayer's senses yelling there were too much opponents for her. But Faith stayed at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. She wasn't sure what to do. The others weren't too far and Kennedy had probably met up with the group now. Maybe she could take care of this crypt herself. But if there were as much vampires lying low in the darkness as she sensed, some help could be useful. Her gaze traveled from the dark room in front of her to the stairs behind her. Once. Twice.

And finally, she didn't make the decision of what she was about to do. Faith felt a huge pain behind her skull and fell forward, sent nearly to the middle of the room by the violence of the blow. She heard steps getting closer and could feel a vampire close by her. She struggled at full force against the pain, which was about to make her loose conscientiousness. She had to stay conscious at any cost. Her survival might depend on that.

"So, what do we have here?"

The voice vaguely reached Faith's ears, muffled and distorted by the buzzing in her head. Faith opened her eyes and looked up slightly. A tall vampire was standing in front of her and he held an iron bar he had just hit her with. The Slayer ran a hand behind her head where she had been hit. Her fingers touched a sticky liquid, which glued her hair to the gaping wound opened by the blow she had just received. Faith winced and began to get up. She was going to show to that vampire she had hardest times before.

When she was finally up, Faith stared at her opponent: a tall vampire who was looking at her with a fierce smile on his demonic face.

"A Slayer going down here all alone, it must be my lucky day!"

"I don't think so" Faith growled. "Meeting me is never a sign of luck for a vampire"

"I'd said that the rules are about to change honey"

Saying this, the vampire gestured to something behind her. Faith turned around slowly and could see what her instinct had told her before: there were several others vampires in the crypt. But the Slayer couldn't help but step back when she saw how many yellows eyes she could now see appearing in the darkness. Faith had to face the facts: there could be more than fifteen vampires lying low in the blackness, ready to devour her. She clutched her fists and cast a glance behind her. Retreat was her only chance to survive. Her chances to win were too poor in a space that confined, alone against fifteen. Maybe she had just found one of those nests Jenny's group was looking for earlier. She had to climb up those stairs and warn her. Just one vampire was blocking the access to the stairs.

But he had to understand her plans because when she turned around and was about to throw herself onto him to free the passage, the vampire beat down his bar again to her. Faith had to roll on her side to avoid it and when she looked again at the exit, it was too late : three others vampires were ready to attack her.

Faith looked at the starving horde, which attacked her by waves and seemed to have a great pleasure to keep her away from the exit and to see her desperate attempts to reach it.

The dark-haired Slayer felt blows on her face, her back, her stomach. Sometimes, one of her attacker even began to bite her. But with revived energy, Faith finally got rid off the vampire before he could drink from her. But Faith knew only too clearly that her chances to get through this were now hopeless. But she wouldn't surrender without fighting and wouldn't fall without carnage in this nest.

She promised it to herself while giving blows all around her as violent as her weakening strength allowed her.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Where's Faith ? " Kennedy asked again while looking frantically around her.

The Slayer she had seized by her arm shook her head to say she had no idea.

Kennedy turned around to search the girl called Melinda that Jenny had referred to as her second in command. She needed several seconds to locate her in the rabble. Kennedy made her way to her by giving crossbow blows to vampires who tried to slow her progress and she finally reached the girl as she was dusting a vampire. Melinda, who had noticed Kennedy's approach, turned to her.

"What d'you want?"

"Where's Faith?" Kennedy asked immediately. "I thought she was with you"

Melinda nodded and looked around her.

"We're really close to the nest" she explained. "When we followed the ones coming from the theatre, they met up with another part of the group. And as you see" she pointed around her in a circular gesture. "There're a lot of them"

"This is really a vampires town" Kennedy grumbled. "But it doesn't tell where's Faith now?" she insisted.

"I think some of the vampires ran away. Faith followed them I guess."

"Alone?"

"I don't…"

Melinda interrupted herself to deliver a blow to a vampire who was getting too closer to her own taste, then turned again to Kennedy.

"I don't know. She didn't look like she wanted to follow my lead. She's one of the Chosen two after all. She has to know what she's doing"

Kennedy sighed deeply.

"Chosen or not, she's all alone somewhere in that cemetery full of vampires. I don't like this. Do the job here, I'm taking two of your girls with me and I'm going in search of her"

Melinda nodded.

"Okay. We follow you as soon as we're done here"

Kennedy nodded her head and made her way out the fighters' circle. She gestured to two girls to follow her and they got away from the battle.

"What do we do?" Asked one of the Slayer Kennedy had just enrolled.

"We're looking for Faith" Kennedy answered. "I need back up with me"

"Okay" Both Slayers answered and exchanged a glance with a smile on their lips.

If she had been less worried about Faith, Kennedy would probably have noticed how proud the girls were to have been chosen to go with her. But right now, she was far too concerned about Faith to notice anything.

Faith could be anywhere in the cemetery and nothing could tell her where. Kennedy closed her eyes a second and decided to rely on her instinct.

"That way" She said.

Then she went to the path she had just pointed, closely followed by the others Slayers.

The group began to run, attentive to any clue able to lead them to Faith. Kennedy was going forward without really knowing where she was heading but sure to be in the right direction. It was a weird feeling she happened to feel during the previous year in Brazil. But she couldn't totally shake her feeling of worry. What if she was wrong this time? What if her Slayer instinct didn't lead her where she wanted? A hand on her arm shook her from her thoughts and made her come to a stop.

"What?" She said, almost abruptly to the Slayer who had just stopped her.

"Listen" the girl simply answered.

Kennedy did as she was told. Her Slayer earing caught the fuzzy noise of a battle taking place really close and her Slayer's senses told her there was a lot of vampires involved.

"We have to go and see" she said

"Looks like they're many of them"

"I know"

Kennedy looked around her quickly.

"They're beneath us, probably in a crypt"

The other Slayers nodded their understanding. Kennedy stared around again and pointed to a crypt's door, less than fifty meters from them.

"There" She said simply. "Gather branches and twigs" She was gesturing all around her. " and build a torch"

Saying this, she fumbled in her pocket and finally got a lighter out from it. She threw it in one of her fellows' hands.

"And then meet me in the crypt!"

"You can't go alone" protested one of the girl.

"Hurry" Kennedy answered simply. "Faith's there. And she needs our help"

Then without waiting for an answer, Kennedy crossed the distance to her goal as both Slayers began to do as they had been told.

Kennedy came down the crypt's stairs four by four. Once at the bottom of the stairs, she immediately perceived in the darkness a group of vampires going at Faith fiercely as the dark-haired Slayer was desperately trying to resist. Kennedy came briefly to stop in front of that scene. Faith's face was bruised, blood was pouring freely from her lips, her nose, her neck, one of her eyes was swollen, her clothes were torn in pieces, she was cornered, close to give in at any moment without any victory hope. But she was still fighting, still standing, giving with rage more and more weaker blows that missed their goal nearly each time.

With an enraged scream, Kennedy rushed onto the vampires and she took advantage of their surprise to dust two vampires and to push away the others from Faith with kicks and blows. When she was near Faith, Kennedy pt her arm around her waist and tried to pull her to the stairs with her.

"I was waiting for you" Faith whispered in a weak voice she tried to sound ironic.

Kennedy gave her a sympathetic glance and couldn't help but smile.

"And here I am" She said simply while hitting a vampire who tried to block access to the exit with her crossbow.

If that one was not a problem any more, Kennedy understood it would be really hard to get out from this trap while carrying Faith. But a glance to her fellow Slayer told her she hadn't much of a choice, the rogue Slayer now barely stood up.

Kennedy used her weapon and her legs to keep the vampires from them while casting regularly glances to the stairs.

She let out a relief sigh when she saw a light and when a first Slayer appeared at the bottom of the stairs, holding a huge flaming torch she handled with dexterity to keep the vampires at a distance. The second Slayer was soon there behind her and went to Kennedy, fighting her way with kicks and torch's large moves around her.

"Get up!" She screamed to Kennedy. "We're on your back'

Kennedy hesitated for half a second. She cast a glance to the group of gathered vampires so close and she saw that the giant flames from the Slayers' torches terrified them.

Kennedy seized Faith more firmly and began to climb the stairs which led outside, and was quickly followed by the other Slayers who threw their flaming weapons in the middle of the vampires whose piercing cries hit Kennedy's ears when she reached the top of the stairs.

She got away quickly from the crypt and when she thought she was away enough, she laid Faith carefully on the cemetery grass, close to a tombstone whose lettering had been erased by time. The dark-haired Slayer's able-bodied eye batted once or twice before staring at Kennedy. Then she stood up on her elbows, coughed and spat a little blood. Kennedy gave her a handkerchief from her pocket and Faith wiped the blood oozing from her nose and her lips.

"You okay?" Kennedy asked.

"I'll be fine" Faith answered. "Been there already."

Now relieved on her former mentor state, Kennedy sighed and patted her gently on her shoulder.

"Hey, second time I save your ass!" She said in a happy and satisfied tone.

"Don't get used to that!" Faith grumbled.

Then she sat up and without looking at her savior, she whispered so low Kennedy hardly heard her:

"Good job then"

--------------------------------------------------------

"There's something else" Gideon repeated.

Xander saw him raise his hand, his palm open in front of him. He wanted to shout, to stand up, to jump, to do something. He saw Buffy's hand seizing her sword near her and getting ready to defend herself in case the warlock attacked her. But nothing more happened. Gideon did not move more and no flash of lightning, no energy bolt gushed from his raised palm. Time seemed to stop: Gideon with his hand raised and his eyes locked on Buffy, the Slayer in front of him, ready to strike back and Xander half up near his armchair, ready to jump if necessary.

And suddenly Buffy felt an unbearable headache and she dropped her sword and felt to her knees. Thousand voices seemed to yell in her head something she couldn't quite understand. Buffy put her hands around her head, as this gesture could have been enough to make the pain disappear.

Xander came immediately to her, kneeled to her side and put his hand on one of the Slayer's arm.

"Buff" He called in an anguished voice. "What's going on? What's wrong? Hey Buff…"

But Buffy didn't give any sign she had heard him or was even aware of his presence. He looked up angrily at Gideon.

"What did you do? » He screamed to the warlock.

He was about to get up when he felt Buffy topple over. He turned around to her and caught her as she was falling to the ground. Her face was tensed and the screams in her head were so strong and loud that Buffy felt like her head was about to explode.

And everything stopped. The screams. The pain. Buffy opened slowly her eyes and was surprised to have a sweet light welcoming her. She looked around her. She wasn't in Gideon's lair anymore. She was in a kitchen bathed by the sweet light of the sun. A kitchen she recognized immediately. Revello Drive kitchen. Buffy blinked in surprise. But that feeling vanished to be replaced by curiosity. Buffy pricked up her ears. The house was silent. She moved carefully to the door giving onto the hall, as if too curt moves could have made her so important house disappear. Buffy reached the hall without anything happening. She looked through the window. It was a sunny day. It was probably spring or the beginning of the summer. Buffy headed to the stairs and climbed it slowly, as she was pushed by an invisible force guiding her steps. A strange feeling traveled through her as she saw those familiar walls again, walls covered with photos of a past for so long disappeared. When she reached the second floor, she caught a glimpse of her room's door opened partly. She came closer and pushed the door opened to come in. The sight welcoming her took her breath away. It wasn't her room. It was Willow's room. Willow and Tara's room. And they were both there.

"Hey. Clothes" Willow said smiling and looking at Tara.

"Better not get used to them" The blonde witch answered with a charming smile.

"Hum. Yes, ma'am"

Buffy came forward in the room and stared at the scene as she was hypnotized. She saw Willow tugging at the waistband of Tara's jeans and pulling her close. The look Buffy could see on Willow's face was one of absolute contentment and happiness. A look Buffy couldn't remember having seen for so long that it seemed to her it could have happened in another life. The Willow standing in front her put a smile on her lips unwillingly. Tara's voice brought her back to reality.

"Mmm… Xander !"

"Not quite the reaction I was fishing for" Willow said, letting go of Tara.

"No, he's here"

Tara got closer to the window to look at what was happening outside.

"Think they're making up?" Asked Willow as opening a drawer.

Tara turned around and smiled to Willow. The same happy expression as Willow was lightening her face.

"I hope so. That's the best part," she answered.

Buffy couldn't help but smile too and felt a sweet warm to witness that moment between the two witches. For a second, she forgot to wonder what she was doing here, she forgot where she was supposed to be and why.

And then that sharp noise. A gunshot. Then a second. And a third. The noise of a window breaking. And another noise, a thump, duller noise she couldn't recognize.

Tara's smile transformed in a look of surprise and pain. Buffy's face twisted with horror when she noticed a small red dot getting bigger and bigger on Tara's blue sweater.

"Your shirt…" the blonde witch painfully got out.

Buffy's attention came to Willow whose face only showed incomprehension.

"Tara?"

Willow got forward and Tara fell in front of her. Then Buffy saw Willow's white shirt splattered with blood. The Slayer wanted to scream but no sound got out of her throat. Her legs started to shake and Buffy had to lean on the wall behind her to support herself.

"Tara? Baby?"

Buffy saw Willow leaning over Tara, turning her, putting her arms under her body.

"Please ! Please, come on ! Come on, Tara! Please come on baby!"

Willow's sobs tore at Buffy's heart like nothing did in a long time. She saw a blood stain appear under Tara's lifeless body. Willow begged Tara, she begged her to get up, begged her to be alive. But nothing happened. When Willow raised her head, her eyes were dark then bloody red. Buffy quivered when she saw the expression of pain, rage and grief that distorted her best friend's face.

And suddenly, Willow's head turned to her. Buffy jumped. Her eyes met Willow's filled with tears ones. The witch let go of her girlfriend's body and got up to face Buffy.

"It's your fault!" She yelled, her voice full of hate.

"It's your fault" she repeated while a terrified Buffy stepped back until she tried to push herself in the wall behind her.

She tried to stammer something, to defend herself but she couldn't get a sound out.

"It's your fault" Willow repeated again as she pointed to Tara's lifeless body behind her.

"Will…" Buffy finally managed to get out.

"He was shooting you, he was trying to kill you! YOU!" Willow suddenly exploded.

"And she died. Instead of you Buffy! Instead of you! You, the Slayer, you who should have protected her, YOU!"

Buffy's legs gave in and she slid slowly along the wall. Willow's gaze didn't let go of her and Buffy could see blazing blame dancing in it.

"Where were you?" Willow resumed. "Where were you when Warren had to be stopped? Where were you Buffy? Where were you Slayer?"

"Will…" Buffy repeated. "I would have so wanted, I would so want …"

But Willow didn't listen and went on as she hadn't say anything.

"You were with Spike. With a vampire. You preferred screwing a soulless vampire than protecting Tara! She didn't deserve that Buffy! She didn't deserve to die in your place! By your fault"

Willow's voice was now strangely loud and Buffy wanted to block her ears to stop hearing her best friend's blames when Willow's distorted face by hate and grief was staring at her with disdain.

"You're guilty of her death!" Willow yelled even louder if it was possible.

"Guilty!"

This time, Buffy fell to the ground and slapped her hands on her ears with full force.

"Guilty!" She heard again.

"Guilty!" rang in her head as thousands of voice had yelled it at the same time. "Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! "

The blame grew as a lament strong and distant at the same time, throbbing and cruel and nothing seemed to be able to make it stop. Buffy wanted to defend herself. She felt tears pouring from her eyes, along her cheeks and slid to the corner of her mouth. She hardly heard the sound of her own voice.

"I didn't want… I so have wanted…" She repeated several times by way of a defense.

And then, she felt a hand on her arm. A hand she felt seizing her and shaking her. And she perceived a voice among the screams.

"Buff…"

And the voices vanished as suddenly as they had come. Buffy opened her eyes and turned her head to see Xander looking at her worriedly. She was back in Gideon's lair. She loosened her grip around her head and wanted to get up. But she was shaking so violently that she couldn't do it without Xander's help.

"You okay?" he asked.

"What…what happened?" She asked in a so weak voice that she had a hard time to recognize it as her own.

"You began to hold your head and you fell to the ground" Her friend answered. "And you kept repeating 'I didn't want, I would so have wanted…", something like that. I think he did a spell on you"

Buffy turned to Gideon and got to her feet with Xander's help.

"What…What was that?" she asked in a slightly trembling voice. "Is that… Is that what Willow thinks? Is that her state of mind?"

Gideon had moved at all and gave her a mocking and amused smile.

"I thought you would understand yourself. Well, obviously you can't ask those Slayers to have a brain added to their supernatural strength. No, it's not Willow Rosenberg state of mind you just saw"

He paused, like he wanted to give Buffy a chance to find the answer herself. Or for dramatical effect. It couldn't be said.

"It's yours"

Buffy didn't jump to that assertion but her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Mine?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Gideon crossed his arms over his chest and answered in an almost annoyed tone.

"Come on, Miss Summers, don't tell me you didn't know. Of course, most of the time, you just tell yourself you couldn't know, you can't save everybody, that you made your part. You tell yourself you were at a bad point at that time, that nobody can't hold it against you. And in fact, nobody actually holds it against you."

"What the hell is he talking about Buff?" Xander asked, turning to Buffy who was staring intently at the warlock.

If Buffy intended to inform Xander, she didn't have enough time as Gideon resumed as Xander had not even talked.

"But you know it's there. That little voice deep inside of you. That voice telling you that you could have done better. That you SHOULD have done better. It's always there. Oh, most of the time, it's low and discreet. But when you find your sister crying in her room sometimes at night, or when you see your friend Willow looking in the distance after a sleepless night, the voice gets louder. It reminds you that you failed. And then you know that finally, there's just one person holding what happened against you. And that person is you"

Gideon stopped again and looked at Buffy to gauge her reaction. She didn't move and stared at him fixedly, thousands of feelings dancing in her eyes. Xander for his part, looked at the warlock and the Slayer one after the other, trying to gather the pieces.

"Buff…" He finally answered low. "You feel guilty for Tara's death?"

Realization hit him as he said the words. Buffy had never mentioned this but he shouldn't be surprised. He had cursed himself for months for staying still looking at Warren pointing his gun at them. At their house. At their friends. Even if he had kept telling himself that he couldn't have done anything, that he didn't had enough time to do something, he had hated himself for his helplessness. So, how Buffy, with all her powers, with her way to always want to protect those she loved, could have felt nothing of that feeling of shame and guilt he himself had to face?

Gathering what Gideon had just said, Xander wasn't surprised by what he had enunciated, he was surprised not to have ever think about it before. Buffy felt guilty for Tara's death. Now it had been said, it seemed crystal clear.

And he understood about what all this finally was. And Gideon gave voice to his conclusions before him:

"You didn't come here, against your own convictions, out of Tara Maclay's or Willow Rosenberg's friendship"

he stopped, considered Buffy who was close to interrupt him and resumed quickly :

"I should say, not just out of Willow Rosenberg's friendship. It's true, it's one of your reasons. But it's not the only one as you kept telling us, Miss Summers. If you're here, it's for you too. To relieve your heart and conscience of that weight. Am I wrong?"

Xander looked again at Buffy then at Gideon. Buffy hadn't still moved and Xander wondered if the Slayer had registered that the warlock was asking her something. He was about to hail her when she finally reacted. She looked up to Gideon and Xander saw a light in her eyes telling him that whatever inner fight she was fighting for a moment was now over.

"You're right. Willow's not my only reason, even if the main. Yeah, I also do this for selfish reasons, because I failed in Tara's death. Because sometimes, I feel that guilt coming back to me. Because I feel it each time I look at Willow and because it became unbearable not to be able to look at my best friend without feeling responsible for the weight on her shoulders. And because Tara was my friend too. And because I miss her too. For all those reasons, I brushed some of my former convictions off, to come here in front of you and to present my request. That's what you wanted to know. Now, you know it"

Buffy fell silent and withstood Gideon's weighting gaze on her until the warlock uncrossed suddenly his arms and exclaimed simply:

"Fine!"

------------------------------------------------

There was a great bustle over the Council's sickbay. Several nurses were fidgeting around more or less seriously wounded Slayers.

Sat on a stool, Kennedy let escape long bored sighs while a really young nurse was trying to disinfect the wounds on her face.

Kennedy turned her head when she heard the door open and she gestured widely when she saw Willow appearing in the doorstep, followed by Robin and Dawn.

"Stop moving please" the nurse asked with a hint of impatience. "I can't…"

But she couldn't finish her sentence. Willow had just reached Kennedy and stared worriedly at her girlfriend.

"You're hurt?" she asked.

Kennedy rolled her eyes.

"It's nothing" the Slayer answered. "Just some bruises and cuts. With Slayer healing, it will be all disappeared by tomorrow"

"Even if your healing power is amazing, we can still help nature" protested the nurse.

Willow offered a sympathetic smile to the nurse, guessing Kennedy had probably given her a hard time.

"I'm gonna finish"

The nurse help her her cottons willingly and got away quickly.

"What happened?" The witch asked while taking care of her girlfriend's wounds.

"Patrol" Kennedy said. "Nothing big"

"She saved Faith!" Exclaimed a young Slayer on Willow's left.

"Saved Faith?" Willow frowned.

"Saved Faith?" Robin repeated.

"Rescue between Slayers, nothing more" Kennedy grumbled and freed from Willow's hands.

Willow and Dawn stared at Kennedy's face. Then Dawn spat out :

"She doesn't say the exact truth. Can be read on her face"

Kennedy sighed and was about to get up when Faith's voice interrupted her :

"Good guess, little Dawn"

They all craned their neck to see Faith lying on a bed behind a half-drawn curtain. The dark-haired Slayer was obviously in a worse state than her counterpart. One of her eyes was black and half closed, her lips were cut in several places and nearly every inch of visible skin was bruised. A light bandage could be seen behind her neck, half-hidden by her dark locks.

"Actually, she came to rescue me in a vampires nest" Faith resumed. "Don't give up such a glory Kennedy" she added to her counterpart.

Kennedy shrugged and didn't answer.

"You were in a vampires nest? Alone?" Robin asked.

Faith simply nodded.

"I chased a vampire and he leaded me to a nest"

"Alone?" Robin repeated.

"Buffy and you suggested me not to have young Slayers following me some days ago. So, yeah, alone"

Wood frowned severely and was about to say something but was interrupted by Kennedy.

"It was perfectly stupid. You should have taken girls with you. Or followed Melinda's orders and stay with the group"

Faith shrugged and let herself fall back onto the mattress with a stubborn look on her face.

"You disobeyed again?" Robin asked.

Faith sighed with a bored look on her face.

"I won't follow orders from kids who still were in primary school when I killed my first vampires." Was her reply.

Robin rolled her eyes and opened his mouth to answer severely, but Willow was quicker this time:

"You can do everything you want as long as you don't put anybody at risk!" She exclaimed angrily. "Kennedy could have been killed trying to get you out of there!"

"It's nothing Willow" Kennedy said to calm her girlfriend down and trying to hide her satisfaction to see Willow getting angry that way because she had been worried about her.

"It's not nothing" Robin said darkly. "first, the other day and now this"

He stared at Faith but the Slayer was looking at anything but him. Robin looked at her wounds then her turned to the others.

"We're gonna let you have some rest Faith. We'll talk about this later."

But Faith didn't answer more and didn't look at them getting away, didn't see Kennedy gesture to her as she followed the group outside.

---------------------------------------------------

Xander was slouched in his armchair and he looked like he was half-asleep. It was late now and the sky outside was black. The room would have been plunged into total darkness if not for the high candles lit nearly everywhere and bathing the room in a dim light.

Buffy for her part, was pacing in front of Xander, looking at her watch so often that most of the times, the minute hand hadn't moved in the slightest.

She cast a glance to Xander whose head rested on the back of his armchair and whose closed eye and regular breath pointed out he was sleeping. But Buffy couldn't wait more and got closer to her friend before sitting on his armrest.

"Do you think it's gonna take long?"

Xander jumped in his seat.

"What?" he asked panicked and seized his axe at his feet.

Buffy considered him with an amused smile before putting a reassuring hand on his arm.

"I was asking if you think it's gonna take long?"

Xander shrugged to show his ignorance.

"Well, I don't know what it means to ask for a resurrection to a whole coven when you're a warlock like Gideon. It's the first time I do something like that.

Buffy looked at him dumfounded.

"Well, asking for a resurrection to a coven. Last time I practiced a resurrection, the coven members were just two witches, it was quicker" he corrected.

Buffy sighed and looked again at her watch. It was now hours that Gideon has gone to present their request to his coven. Since then, they were waiting for the decision in his lounge.

"Finally" Xander said. "if the reply is positive, it wouldn't have been too hard to convince him. I expected more difficult ordeals, like killing dragons or fighting zombies or stuff like that. Was rather simple finally"

"Speak for yourself" Buffy grumbled.

There was a silence between the two friends.

"What did you see exactly?" Xander eventually asked.

"Tara's death" Buffy answered without any hesitation. "Like I was there"

She fell silent, looking like she was playing the scene again in her head and shivered.

"I think I understand better why Willow lost it" she added.

Xander wanted to ask some details but he changed his mind think to the situation's morbid.

"Why didn't you ever talk about it?"

Buffy gave him a questioning look.

"About the fact you feel guilty about her death?" He clarified.

Buffy shrugged.

"I don't think we ever had the chance to talk about this." She answered in a tired voice. "And I think that, you know, talking about it would have just make it tougher, more tangible…"

Xander didn't answer. After that famous night of terror when they all tried to escape Willow, himself had never talked again about his own guilty feeling. Maybe bringing Willow back to reason had make it easier to bear. Buffy never got something that concrete to fight her own.

"Buff, it wasn't your fault…" the carpenter said gently. "You did everything you could"

Buffy shrugged and snorted.

"No. Not at all"

"Buffy…" Xander began.

"Xander" Buffy interrupted in a low voice, staring at her palms opened in front of her.

"I did nothing. I didn't do enough. I'm THE Slayer. Those three geeks should have been nothing for me. But I let them do their stuff. I thought there was so much more important than taking care of them. So much more serious"

"Buffy…there's nothing you could have done"

But Buffy went on her train of thoughts, as Xander hadn't even talked.

"Everything just seemed so petty compared to my own pain… And she had to die and her death had to almost destroy Willow for me to finally understand how wrong I was to cry over myself. How lucky I was to be there to help my sister to grow up…"

"Buffy…" Xander interrupted again.

Buffy looked up to him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It wasn't her time Xander" She said more firmly. "That bullet was for me"

Xander didn't answer and they remained silent for a moment.

"They have to accept…" Buffy resumed.

"Buff." Xander said gently. "You know that even they accept, it doesn't guarantee success"

The blonde Slayer nodded.

"I know this Xander. But if they refused, we won't have any chance…"

Gideon's sudden entrance interrupted the train of their conversation. The door opened wide which made the two friends jump slightly, and the warlock appeared in the room. He came quickly to them and they got up.

Gideon stared at the questioning and hopeful faces as none as them dared to ask the fatidic question.

He then began:

"The coven studied your request," He announced. "Each member expressed his point of view and the coven finally reached a decision.

Buffy and Xander held their breath, waiting for the answer.

"That resurrection looks like a hard but really interesting challenge. The coven will then try to bring Tara Maclay back to life."

Buffy and Xander exchanged a glance.

"You can leave now. She'll come to you"

-------------------------------------

_end of 'Guilty'_


End file.
